Liquid dispensing device



Feb, 14, 1950 J, w, MUENZE 2,497,134

LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed April 25, 1946 F ag 4 g INVENTOR. 1/5 J W filtffije? 19 TTORNEY Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED: STATES Pat-rais r OFFICE LIQUIDLDI'SPENSING DEVICE J oseph WIMuenze, RidgeWod,N. Y.

Application-April 25, 1946, Serial No. 664,79?

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates 'topouring devices for containers; such -.as liquor bottles saidrdevicesconsisting of. a pouring; spout mounted in. a stopper engageable in the: pouring opening of a. container 1 and- -anair vent tube --mounted: exteriorly of the. pouring spout-and communicating with the interiorrof thecontainer and the atmosphere to permit a-free'flowof the-contents-ofthe-containerthrough the pouring spout'by dis-- placing the contents of the containerwith air from the atmosphere.

It is-an object of the-invention to provide pouringdevices: of this character with a shield which enhances theappearance of the device and prevents dirt from enteringqthe air vent tube;

It is another-object of theinvention to provide ELJ'lOVel mounting of the pouringspout and air vent tubein the bore ofa tubular stopper without. weakening the Wall of thestopper.

Itis a -further object of the invention to providea spacer member betweenethe stopper. and: shieldhaving air vents and in which spacer member theair inlet end of the vent tube terminates, whereby the'air intake isthrough. the shield and. spacer-member to remove dirt and-dust from the .air.

Another object of theinventi'onnisto secure the pouring spout and spacer member to the stopper and prevent displacement of the stopper when thedevice is removed from the container.

Qther objects andadvantages of the invention Will'appear hereinafter.

In the drawing accompanyingand' forming a part of this-application, Figure 1 is a front elevati'onal view of the-embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view; on' an enlarged scale,'taken on the line -22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a-iragmentary 'elevational' view of theinlet endportionof the pouring spout, the outlet endportion of the air vent tube-and the spacer member mounted on the pouring spout and air vent tube:

Figure l is a cross sectional 'view taken on the line 4-4'of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows and showingthemounting of the air vent tube in1a-channelled wall portionof thepouring spout.

The embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanyingdr'awing comprisesa tubu lar stopper 5 'of*suitab1eresilient material; such ascork or .rubbenandv usually of :tapered formation: to v .facilitate-;the-. engagement. of the stopper into-the-pouring opening or mouth of acontainer, such. as azzbottle, not-shown. The stopper. supportscaspcuring or.:iiow---spout 'iimitheuformzof a z 2 tube:havinga straight inletend portion 6 and: an arcuate or curved. discharge or outlet end portion .1, and therouter diameterof said tube being substantially the same as. the diameter of the bore of-the tubular stopper, whereby the straight inlet end portion 6 is engaged in said bore with theiendof. said .endportionprojecting a short distance from the tapered end of the stopper as.

shown in Figuresl and- 2. To prevent-displacement. of the stopper on: the-pouring tube portion fi-wwhenthe stopper is removed from the pouring. openingofz the: container, a'suitable securing; medium, suchas adhesive; is applied to either or both of the wall; of the bore of the stopper and the. section of the pouring tube portion 6 engagedinthe bore of-the stopper before said. tube section is engaged :in: the bore of the stopge per.

To assurean even flow of the contents of the container through the-pouring-spout, it is necessaryrt0=.provide.a. continuous and even'sfiow' of air IlntOi the container to: replace :the contents being dischargedathrough the pouring spout. This isaccomplished byproviding. an airvent tubers mountedinzthe bore of the stopper 5 in juxtaposed'relation with the straight end portion Eof the pouring spout with the air inletend 9- projecting-from the larger end of the stopper" andtheair outlet end Hl projecting" from the smaller end of the stopper and the inlet end-- of the pouring spout portion 6. vent tube juxtaposed 'to the pouring tube por tion 6- without increasing the diameter of the bore of the' stopper and weakening the stopper; a..section of the Wall of the pouring tube portion. Sis arranged witha'channel ll of arcuate formation in cross section conforming to the curvature of the vent tube. from the inlet end. of said pouring. tube portion to a point therein exterior-1y of the larger end of the stopper and is of a depth substantiallyoequalto .theouter diameter .of the air vent tube.8,- so that the air vent tube'will'be'within. thetouterz circumference. of the pouring tube. portion 6. when the air vent tube-8 is engaged insaid channel... The air. .venttube8 and. pouring. tube por.- tion 8 isengaged inv the-bore-ofthe stopper which is substantially, equalto the outer diameterofl.

thepouringtube portion 6. Theair inlet end- 91 01" the vent. tubes Bus-spaced from theclosed end l2 :of the channel H to-provide suflicientspace-for the-intake: of :air into the air vent tube as :shown iniFigure' 2. The air vent -.tube'i8 may:- be secured to' the -:pourin'g.-tube portion :6 by any:

To have theair The channel II extends:

3 suitable means, such as solder, as shown at [3 in Figure 2. The channel I i is in the section of the wall of the pouring tube portion 6 diametrically opposed to the wall section of smallest radius of the curved portion 1 of the pouring tube, whereby the air outlet end In of the vent tube 8 will be positioned above the contents of the container entering the inlet end of the pouring tube when the container is in pouring position.

To prevent dirt and dust from entering the air vent tube 8 and enhance the appearance of the device, dome shaped shield 14 is engaged on the straight portion 6 adjacent to the curved portion 1 of the pouring tube by providing the center of the dome of the shield with an opening having an inwardly extending annular flange l5 having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the pouring tube portion 6, whereby there is a tight fit between the flange and the tube portion 6 and the shield is secured to the pouring tube. The shield will encircle the stopper and the portion of the container in which the stopper is engaged with the open end and wall of the shield in spaced relation to the container to permit entrance of air into the shield.

The shield i4 is spaced from the larger end of the stopper 5 and the inlet end 9 of the vent tube 8 by a spacer in the form of a cup shaped member 16 having an opening in the bottom wall substantially equal to the bore of the stopper to engage the member IS on the pouring tube portion 6 and the air vent tube 8 with the bottom wall of the member I 6 abutting the larger end of the stopper and the free edge of the side wall of the member !6 abutting the inner surface of the shield I4, as shown in Figure 2. By this construction and arrangement of parts, the inlet end 9 of the vent tube 3 is enclosed by a chamber formed by the member l6 and the portion of the shield l4 circumscribed by said member 16. To provide inlet 9 of the vent tube 8 with access to the atmosphere, the free edge portion of the side wall of the spacer member I6 is arranged with recesses or notches ll forming with the shield l4 vent openings, whereby air is drawn into the container by the removal of the contents therefrom through the annular space between the container and the shield,

through the vent openings I! into the inlet 9 of the vent tube 8, through the tube 8 and out of the outlet I into the container. As the passage of air from the exterior of the shield into the container is in a sinuous path, any dust or dirt in the air will be separated from the air by gravitation and by impact against the side wall of the spacer member 6 when the air is passing through the vents H. The spacer member 6 is secured to the stopper by applying adhesive to either or both of the outer surface of the bottom wall of the spacer member and the larger end of the stopper.

The outlet end of the pouring tube portion 1 is normally closed by a closure flap comprising a circular plate l8 having an arcuate portion [9 projecting from a peripheral section of the plate to form the plate of heart shape and a knuckle formed from the material of the plate in diametrically opposed relation to the projection l9. Said knuckle 20 is loosely engaged in a perforation 2| in the wall section of greatest radius of the pouring tube portion 1. The outlet end of the pouring tube portion 1 inclines from the wall section of smallest radius, so that the closure flap plate will close the outlet when 4 the container is in upright position, as shown in Figure 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a liquid dispensing device, a pouring spout adapted to be mounted in the pouring opening of a container, a shield mounted on an intermediate portion of the spout and adapted to encircle the portion of the container in which the spout is mounted, a cup shaped member having notches in the side wall extending inwardly from the edge of said side wall and mounted on the pouring spout within the shield with the edge of the side wall abutting the shield and the notches forming air vents and the member in encircling relation to the spout, and an air vent tube juxtaposed to the portion of the spout within the shield with one end terminating within the cup shaped member.

2. In a liquid dispensing device, a tubular stopper adapted to be engaged in the pouring opening of a container, a pouring tube having a straight end portion engaged in the bore of the tubular stopper and arranged with a channel in the wall thereof forming a passage with the wall of the bore of the stopper and the opposite end portion of the pouring tube extending from the stopper in an arcuate direction, a cup shaped member having an opening in the bottom wall and notches in the edge of the side wall and engaged on the pouring tube with the bottom wall abutting one end of the stopper, a vent tube mounted in the passage with one end portion extending from the end of the stopper opposite the end abutting the cup shaped member and the opposite end portion extending through the opening in the bottom wall of the cup shaped member and terminating within the cup shaped member, and a dome shaped shield having an opening in the center of the dome and engaged on the pouring tube in abutting relation with the edge of the side wall of the cup shaped member and the shield encircling the stopper with the arcuate end portion of the pouring tube projecting from the shield, the notches in the cup shaped member forming air vents for the vent tube and the cup shaped member spacing the shield from the stopper.

3. A liquid dispensing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pouring tube is secured to the wall of the bore of the stopper, and the bottom wall of the cup shaped member is secured to the abutting end of the stopper.

4. In a liquid dispensing device, a tubular stopper adapted to be engaged in the pouring opening of a container, a pouring tube having a straight end portion engaged in the bore of the stopper and arranged with a channel in the exterior surface of the wall thereof forming a passage with the wall of the bore of the stopper and the opposite end portion extending from the stopper in an arcuate direction and arranged with a perforation in the convex wall adjacent said end thereof, a vent tube engaged in the passage with the opposite end portions extending from the opposite ends of the stopper, a heart shaped closure plate pivotally mounted in the perforation of the pouring tube to close said tube in the upright position of the container, a dome shaped shield mounted on the pouring tube intermediate the straight and arcuate end portions thereof, and a cup shaped member having notches in the edge of the side wall and an opening in the bottom wall to engage the member on the pouring and vent tubes with the edge of the side JOSEPH W. MUENZE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Paul May 26, 1936 Ulanet May 5, 1942 Lanfare Feb. 23, 1943 Bates May 9, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 1, 1924 

